One of the horror genre's "most widely read critics" (Rue Morgue # 68), "an accomplished film journalist" (Comic Buyer's Guide #1535), and the award-winning author of Horror Films of the 1980s (2007), The Rock and Roll Film Encyclopedia (2007) and Horror Films of the 1970s (2002), John Kenneth Muir, presents his blog on film, television and nostalgia, named one of the Top 100 Film Studies Blog on the Net.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Six More Days to Halloween...

In honor of Halloween (my favorite holiday, couldn't you guess?), let's play "Name The Horror Movie." Guest blogger Joseph Maddrey has provided these beautiful color photographs of horror movie locales as they are today (all photos copyright Joe Maddrey), and written a few clues about each location. These first three below are pretty easy. But tomorrow's are more difficult. And the next day's, even more so. Let's start...

(bonus points if you can identify the filming location as well as the movie title...)

#1 This is one of the most famous houses in horror history, though it’s changed quite a bit over the years. A young boy murdered his sister here in 1963.

Afterwards, the house was abandoned and later moved down the street. With a sunny new paint job, it now sits right next door to the hardware store where that same killer – 15 years later – adopted a new look and started killing again.

#2 This house is hardly in a rough neighborhood, but at one time it had bars on the windows. Back then, it was home to a single mother and her daughter. The mother had a bit of a drinking problem and the daughter… well, she had her own problems.

One night, the daughter started a fire in the basement. When the smoke cleared, her mother was dead. Or was she?

#3 This little suburban paradise is rumored to be haunted.

Paranormal researchers from a nearby university proposed that the little girl who lived there was the cause of some psychokinetic events.

But local legend offers another explanation for the strange activities: The house was built on an old burial ground.

About John

award-winning author of 27 books including Horror Films FAQ (2013), Horror Films of the 1990s (2011), Horror Films of the 1980s (2007), TV Year (2007), The Rock and Roll Film Encyclopedia (2007), Mercy in Her Eyes: The Films of Mira Nair (2006),, Best in Show: The Films of Christopher Guest and Company (2004), The Unseen Force: The Films of Sam Raimi (2004), An Askew View: The Films of Kevin Smith (2002), The Encyclopedia of Superheroes on Film & Television (2004), Exploring Space:1999 (1997), An Analytical Guide to TV's Battlestar Galactica (1998), Terror Television (2001), Space:1999 - The Forsaken (2003) and Horror Films of the 1970s (2002).

What the Critics Say...

"...some of the best writing about the genre has been done by John Kenneth Muir. I am particularly grateful to him for the time and attention he's paid to things others have overlooked, under-appreciated and often written off. His is a fan's perspective first, but with a critic's eye to theme and underscore, to influence and pastiche..." - Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files, in the foreword to Horror Films FAQ (October 2013).

"Hands down, John Kenneth Muir is one of the finest critics and writers working today. His deep analysis of contemporary American culture is always illuminating and insightful. John's film writing and criticism is outstanding and a great place to start for any budding writer, but one should also examine his work on comic books, TV, and music. His weighty catalog of books and essays combined with his significant blog production places him at the top of pop culture writers. Johns work is essential in understanding the centrality of culture in modern society." - Professor Bob Batchelor, cultural historian and Executive Director of the James Pedas Communication Center at Thiel College (2014).

"...an independent film scholar, [Muir] explains film studies concepts in a language that is reader-friendly and engaging..." (The Hindu, 2007)"...Muir's genius lies in his giving context to the films..." (Choice, 2007)